Category Archives: Elections

PTI’s 30th October, 2011 “Jalsa” was a big breakthrough, it changed the stagnant political scenario. We don’t comment on the Political ideology or ways of Imran Khan’s Politics. But PTI has gathered huge following in the “Sleeping Voters”. Those who never took interest in Politics are now campaigners/enthusiasts. Lahore’s Politics which was stuck in two parties for two decades have now changed and the third Party is enjoying huge support from the Lahoris. Yesterday a huge meeting of PTI workers and supporters gathered and it is being said that this will have huge implications of the cities Politics in the future.

Huge enthusiasm among the supporters was seen all day around. Presence of families is always a difference of PTI “Jalsa’s” and other Political Parties.

Birds eye view of Lahore Jalsa, excellent use of lights and colors.

Yes People were everywhere!

Imran Khan’s supporters ranged from the underclass to the elites, many used their cell phones to capture the moment.

Besides, the Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Mashood also hails from Lahore. Lahore is also likely to wear the crown of Punjab after PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif becomes its chief minister of the province after being elected in the bye-polls.

Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, who has been given the portfolio of Prisons, is the most experienced parliamentarian of PML-N from Lahore in the present cabinet who has reached the Punjab Assembly for the third time. Continue reading →

Fesiel Naqvi a lawyer and a writer at Pak Tea House, voted in the election on February 18. Here is what he has to say:

The problem with Pakistan is not that there are shades of grey which are being missed by casual observers. The problem with Pakistan is that it is a checkerboard with lots of blacks and lots of whites. Whether you think of Pakistan as shining or screwed up, you can find all the evidence you want. What you won’t find is a definitive answer either way.

So where does that leave the undecided voter?

Well, I decided to take the Sherlock Holmes approach and first rule out the impossibles. So, vote for Zardari? Hell no. Vote for Nawaz Sharif? Over my dead body. Vote for Moonis Elahi? Only if you took me aside later and shot me in the back of the head.

But who did that leave? A bunch of no-names including the no-name running under the sign of the elephant whose house happens to be opposite mine. But that would mean wasting my vote, my precious democratic vote. At that point, I was sorely tempted to use my seven-year-old’s solution to all complicated issues: eeny meeny mina mo, catch a tiger by his toe…

I wish I could give a coherent explanation as to why I finally settled on the PPP but I don’t think I can. When I reached the polling booth, my head was still spinning from the lack of decent choices.

Inside the polling station, all was confusion. There was a PPP polling agent but he could not figure out my name on the list and so told me to go outside. Outside was no better, as the PPP booth was literally unmanned, being staffed only by a gaggle of ladies who told me in the most shaista Punjabi that they had no lists and did not know what to do with them anyways. Not knowing who else to approach for help, I went to the PMLQ booth where a bunch of efficient organised workers soon had me all set up and ready to vote.

After I had gone back in and managed to manoeuvre my way through the whole finger-painting, thumb-stamping process of casting a vote, I asked the PPP’s polling agent why his party was so woefully disorganised that I had to get my slip filled out by the PMLQ guys. His first reaction was, “Challo ji Moonis Elahi da koi ta faida hoiya na!” And when that excuse did not quite pass muster, he tried a different tack. “Sarkar, we have no computers. Only the Q wallahs have computers”.

At this lovely riposte, I have to say that my heart sank. All I could think of were the lyrics to an old Ray Charles song titled, “Here we go again”.

Here we go again
She’s back in town again
I’ll take her back again
One more time
I’ve been there before
And I’ll try it again
But any fool knows
That there’s no way to win

NA 119 Lahore II
The election was not held because one of the contestants Tariq Banday of the PML-Q had died. Muhammad Hamza Shehbaz Sharif of the PML-N and Muhammad Zakria Butt of the PPPP were also contesting from this constituency.

LAHORE: The Walled City could not live up to its repute of festivity on the election day, as people had security concerns in the wake of a bloody political clash in the area a few days ago and polling was held only for one Provincial Assembly seat.

However, people showed a trend of being pro-Nawaz Sharif as camps of the PML-N swarmed with charged supporters and voters. Polls in the NA-119, famed for Hamza Shahbaz’s debut run, were postponed following the death of PML-Q’s Tariq Banday. However, polling was held in the PP-142, with main contestants being Khawaja Salman Rafique (PML-N), Azeem Hanif (PML-Q) and Zameer Khokhar (PPP). However, a general sentiment prevailing in the area suggested a walkover for the PML-N.

Kamran Butt, casting vote in Paniwala Talab, said seven members of his family had cast votes for the PML-N while three had voted for the PPP. A small gathering outside the polling station, commenting on the low turnout, said people were fearful after recent bomb blasts and the firing incident in Gawalmandi a few days ago. However, rejecting the PML-Q, they said anyone from the PML-N and the PPP was welcome but not the PML-Q. Predicting the election result, they vowed to ‘puncture’ the cycle, the election symbol of the PML-Q.

The sense of being left out of the race even before it had started was evident on the face of PML-Q candidate, Azeem Hanif, who made hectic trips to all polling stations to make sure polling agents were working. To his dismay, he had to be content with one where he required two or more. Talking to The News, however, he proclaimed he would give a tough time to his rivals. Continue reading →

LAHORE: A low turnout was witnessed in various constituencies of Lahore, a survey conducted by Daily Times found on Monday.

In the polling station (PS) nine setup for men at the Excise & Taxation Office, the total registered votes were 1400, but only 67 votes were polled. In the female polling station, the total registered votes were 1,202, but only 49 votes were polled.

Polling stations set up at Fatima Jinnah Medical College, male PS-23, there were 1,076 registered votes, but till 11:30am only 97 votes were polled. In the female PS-24, only 35 votes were polled out of 1,217 registered votes. In the male PS-25, there were 826 registered votes, but till the afternoon only 33 votes were polled. Continue reading →

What a disturbing report from The News authored by Babar Dogar on elections in Lahore:

“THE 2008 general elections will be remembered among other things for lavish spending by affluent candidates to the extent that their rivals find it impossible to compete with them at least in terms of money.

Affluent candidates, majority to whom are of a particular political party, have openly violated the electioneering spending limit of Rs 1.5 million fixed by the Election Commission of Pakistan. Standing in elections seem to be a money game and candidates with a limited budget seem to be running campaigns lacking razzle-dazzle.

A visit to any constituency shows huge billboards of candidates greeting people. Candidates are spending millions of rupees for publicity. They have adopted various meathods such as display of billboards, airing campaign ads on cable television, distribution of pamphlets, stickers, hand bills, banners and party symbols among voters, opening of numerous election offices in each union council, serving food and refreshments to their supporters, hiring vehicles for their election campaigns and finally purchasing votes. Continue reading →

The forthcoming elections (or should I say selections!) are expected to be controversial. That said there are individuals contesting in this election that richly deserve support and should be elected, one such person is Munnaza Abdul Razzaq who is standing in Lahore NA121.

Munnaza Razaq is a unique candidate and deserves support for she is not a party political animal but simply a lay person like you and me who has had enough of the same scoundrels ruling over us and has chose to make a stand by standing in Lahore NA121. An article in The News alerted me to her candidature and instantly secured her my support. The full article is shown below: Continue reading →

In this #vlog razarumi says that the radical and transformative meaning of Kerbala is to resist injustice and autocracy. The Kerbala tragedy also reiterates that the goal of a just and ethical society is central to our faith as Muslims. #Karbala #Muharram #NayaDaur The post What Is The Message Of Kerbala? appeared first on Jahane Rumi.

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In this #vlog razarumi says that the radical and transformative meaning of Kerbala is to resist injustice and autocracy. The Kerbala tragedy also reiterates that the goal of a just and ethical society is central to our faith as Muslims. #Karbala #Muharram #NayaDaur The post What Is The Message Of Kerbala? appeared first on Jahane Rumi.

Salman Rashid Until the 1970s some one hindered and sixty species of birds were listed in Lahore. While the city had such green spaces as Lawrence Gardens, Aitchison College, the cantonment and Model Town, farm and forest on the outskirts began where Defence Society or Allama Iqbal Town and the innumerable societies now sprawl in […]

I grew up in Lahore. All my life I lived here except for the seven years in the army and ten in Karachi. I returned again in December 1988 and have lived here since. I knew a Lahore that was a very beautiful city. It was a city of people who ere cultured, courteous and with […]

Fellow of Royal Geographical Society, Salman Rashid is author of several books including jhelum: City of the Vitasta and The Apricot Road to Yarkand, Riders on the Wind, Between two Burrs on the Map, Prisoner on a Bus and Sea Monsters and the Sun God. He is the only Pakistani to have seen the North […]

A state of the art metro bus system – brand new and unique in Pakistan – should make every Lahori proud of their city today. A lot has been written and said about this system. And as is the case with almost everything in Pakistan, the points of views are poles apart. Many people regard […]